Maria Edgeworth books in order
Irish writer
- Lived
- 1768–1849
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Books
- 37
- Also writes as
- Eliza Edgeworth
Maria Edgeworth published 9 novels, 2 novellas, 3 short story collections, 3 non-fiction books, 11 children's books and 9 other books, beginning with Castle Rackrent (1800).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Maria Edgeworth
Standalone novels in order
Belinda (1801)
Ennui (1810)
Fatherless Fanny (1811)
The Absentee (1812)
Patronage (1814)
Harrington (1817)
Ormond (1817)
The Life and Letters of Maria Edgeworth (1894)
Castle Rackrent and the Absentee (1895)
Novellas in order
Letters for Literary Ladies (1795)
Castle Rackrent (1800)
Short story collections in order
The Parent’s Assistant (1796)
Popular Tales (1804)
Tales and Novels (1832)
Non-fiction in order
Practical Education (1798)
Essays on Practical Education (1808)
History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella, the Catholic (1840)
Children's books in order
Harry and Lucy (1800)
Moral Tales for Young People (1801)
Frank (1803)
To-morrow, Or, the Dangers of Delay (1807)
Rosamond (1808)
Dialogues on Botany, for the Use of Young Persons (1819)
Early Lessons (1823)
Harry and Lucy Concluded (1825)
Garry Owen (1829)
Helen (1834)
The Little Dog Trusty (1845)
Other books in order
Old Poz (1800)
The Modern Griselda (1804)
Leonora (1806)
Lazy Lawrence (1808)
The Little Merchants (1808)
Tales of Fashionable Life (1809)
Forgive and Forget (1811)
Moral Tales (1816)
Comic Dramas (1817)
Free to read
All free classicsTales and Novels — Volume 03
Tales and Novels — Volume 10
Tales and Novels — Volume 04
Practical Education, Volume I
Tales and Novels — Volume 08
The Life and Letters of Maria Edgeworth, Volume 1
Tales and Novels — Volume 06
Practical Education, Volume II
Tales and Novels — Volume 02
Tales and Novels — Volume 09
Tales and Novels — Volume 07
Tales and Novels — Volume 01
Murad the Unlucky, and Other Tales
The Life and Letters of Maria Edgeworth, Volume 2
About Maria Edgeworth
Maria Edgeworth was an Anglo-Irish novelist of adult and children's literature. She was one of the first realist writers in children's literature and a significant figure in the evolution of the novel in Europe. She held critical views on estate management, politics, and education, and corresponded with some of the leading literary and economic writers, including Sir Walter Scott and David Ricardo. During the first decade of the 19th century she was one of the most widely read novelists in Britain and Ireland. Her name today is most commonly associated with Castle Rackrent, her first novel, in which she, while Anglican herself, used the voice of an Irish Catholic character to narrate the dissipation and decline of a family from her own landed Anglo-Irish class.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Maria Edgeworth FAQ
- How many books has Maria Edgeworth written?
- Maria Edgeworth published 9 novels, 2 novellas, 3 short story collections, 3 non-fiction books, 11 children's books and 9 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Maria Edgeworth's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Castle Rackrent.
- What is Maria Edgeworth's last book?
- History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella, the Catholic (1840).
- What is Maria Edgeworth's most famous book?
- Castle Rackrent (1800) is Maria Edgeworth's most widely read book.
- Does Maria Edgeworth write under a pen name?
- Yes: Maria Edgeworth has also published as Eliza Edgeworth.
- Can I read Maria Edgeworth's books for free?
- Yes. 24 books by Maria Edgeworth are in the public domain in the US and free to read online or download here.
Authors like Maria Edgeworth
Charles Dickens
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Edgar Allan Poe
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Honoré de Balzac
Also wrote literary fiction and short stories
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Also wrote literary fiction and short stories
Louisa May Alcott
Also wrote literary fiction and children's books
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Also wrote literary fiction and short stories
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers, free texts from Project Gutenberg. Last updated September 2026.